Yesterday was my first time ever competing in an intramural basketball game at UMass. Actually, it was my first time competing in any basketball game since I was 8 years old. I joined solely because my friends were in need of another girl to fulfill the mandatory 3:2 girl-to-guy ratio necessary to play in their co-ed league. They thought it was a good idea to make me captain of this team, which I still don’t understand because I lack any ability to play sports. However, being the good friend that I am, I gave basketball a chance (of course by prefracing that I would be no asset to their team). 

Long story short, I was given the ball and deliberately handed it to my opponent. Even with my little background knowledge about the sport, everyone knows that if you have the basketball in your hand, the one thing you’re supposed to do is keep it away from the other team. But then there was me, who was so scared in the heat of the moment that I literally just gave the ball away — not even to my own teammate, but instead to the girl I was supposed to be defending. Everyone on the court, referees and opposing team included, who were all heavily invested in the game, literally stopped mid-play just to stare in confusion of what I had just done. To say the least, I was embarrassed.

Don’t worry, we still ultimately won the game.

All in all, playing an intramural sport at UMass, although very unsuccessful for me, was still a fun experience. Even if my future career in basketball doesn’t seem too bright, I am glad I was able to take part in the game. Joining an intramural team is easy — you just need a group of girls and guys willing to play. I would recommend that everyone play in an intramural sports league here, even if it’s just for fun! Take it from me, you really don’t need to be that good at playing to join... just remember not to give the ball to your opponent.